The Becker Report
Volume I
Issue VI
September 16, 2004

Distribution
Tim Rudd, Clermont County
Paul Hall, Brown County
Harty Wallingford, Adams County
Rodney Barnett, Scioto County
Ray “Moose” Dutey, Lawrence County

The Becker Report is growing in popularity.
I sent this issue to about 70 people.
Please provide me names and e-mail addresses for anyone else that would like to receive this.
You may also forward this newsletter to your Republican friends.
But I prefer to send it to them directly so that I can keep track of who is getting it and in what counties.

Has anyone noticed that each issue of The Becker Report has gotten progressively longer?
We must be getting close to the election.
My intention was to send out this issue after my September 17^th State Central Committee meeting.
However, due its’ excessive length, I decided to cut it down, send it out early, and send issue VII in the near future.
My next issue will include:

• Notes from the State Central Committee Meeting
• Sources for funding and endorsements for countywide and township candidates
• Why I am predicting that President Bush will win re-election with 49 states

Update
September 11, 2004
15 people representing 13 counties attended the Southern Ohio Chairman’s Conference in Jackson.
Rodney Barnett is planning to purchase additional Bush/Cheney signs for Scioto County.
Anyone interested in combining purchase orders to minimize the unit cost should contact Mr. Barnett at 740-778-2110.
Thank you to Jeff Hardin who served as my representative at the meeting.

No Rodney. I was not out on the boat again.
My seven-year-old daughter insisted that I attend her soccer game.
She is daddy’s girl you know.
How can I say no when she bats her pretty blue eyes at her daddy?
And by the way, she has become a pretty fair water skier.

Taste of Clermont County
GOP HQ stayed very busy.
T-shirts, buttons, and bumper stickers completely sold out.
Between 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM on Saturday, 1000 Bush/Cheney signs were given out and 50 new voters registered.
Kudos to Mary Lynne for her hard work and the many dedicated hours that she has given to the Bush/Cheney campaign.

I also had the pleasure to bump into John Kirby and Dick Martin in the crowd.

September 10, 2004
This was one of the most exciting days of my life.
A large group (12) of us met in Mt. Orab.
We broke into smaller groups and then proceeded to Portsmouth to see President Bush.
Glen Chapman (President, Clermont County Young Republicans), Jeff Hardin (Miami Twp Precinct Committeeman), Diane Pettigrew (my niece), and I sat five rows away from the President.
It was a town hall meeting and questions were allowed from the audience.

In what was probably a once in a lifetime event, the President of the United States selected me to ask a question.

• I thanked the President for coming to Scioto County
• Told him that I am from Clermont County and let him know that we are working very hard for him there
• Asked him to visit us in Clermont County
• Explained to him that my tax bracket would be nearly double if Al Gore had been elected
• Asked him about health care: “How does John Kerry have the audacity to talk about health care costs when his running mate, John Edwards, is an ambulance chaser. The Kerry/Edwards team is part of the problem, not the solution.”
  The crowd was cheering and the President began commenting before I had a chance to mention how malpractice insurance expense was costing all of us in higher health care costs. And that it is people like John Edwards and his ilk who are to blame.
  But I figured that I had said enough and then sat down.

As if all of that weren’t enough, when he concluded the meeting and approached the audience, I muscled my way through the crowd, boxed out a few people, and reached over the top to shake hands with President Bush.
(I played football 35 years ago and still remember how to plow through a line. The Secret Service guy that I knocked over didn’t look very happy – just kidding.)
Glen followed my lead.
And after I got out of his way, he also succeeded in shaking hands with the President.

On the way out the door, Bill Hershey, from the Dayton Daily News, separately interviewed, Jeff, Diane, and me.
Diane was mentioned in his article: After the Portsmouth rally, Diane Pettitgrew, 27, of Maineville in Warren County left smiling. “He makes me proud to be an American,” she said.
Wasn’t that a great quote?
Uncle John is certainly proud of his niece.

Spotlight on Scioto County
None of this would have been possible if it were not for the hard work of Mr. Barnett and his team.
This was my first trip to Scioto County.
And it was one that I will never forget.
Rodney Barnett emceed the event.
He not only looked great, but he also demonstrated strong leadership and impressed me as being the pride of Scioto County.
Rodney Barnett is not the only impressive person in Scioto County.
It was a pleasure for me to meet Doug Cade, Mark Kuhn, Matt McFarland and many others.

Also, Tom Niehaus introduced me to Jason Stephens.
Mr. Stephens is the only Republican Commissioner in Lawrence County.
And Ray Dutey speaks very highly of him.

The new HQ at 314 Chillicothe Street was a priority for me to visit.
It is a large room with many tables devoted to their candidates.
I could easily imagine how those tables are often filled with hard working people dedicated to promoting their candidates, registering new voters, and getting out the vote for President Bush.

The way that President Bush, Congressman Portman, Rodney Barnett, and others talked up Scioto County, you’d think it were the center of the universe.
And maybe it is.
The murals along the Portsmouth floodwall are a treasure.
And the scenery along SR 73 through Shawnee Forest is the prettiest I’ve seen in a long time.
More than once, I’ve said that if I had the resources to live anywhere in the world, I would still choose Clermont County.
(Yes. I’m serious. I think that Clermont County is the greatest place on earth.)
After visiting Scioto County, I would certainly consider it as a second choice.
I’m looking forward to my next visit.

September 9, 2004
Special thanks to my good friend Lori Viars who got me a ticket to see Vice President and Mrs. Cheney.
They held a town hall meeting at the Convention Center in Cincinnati.
Lori introduced me to Anthony Munoz who is now heading the Bush/Cheney Campaign for SW Ohio.
I had a good seat in the center of the room only seven rows from the Cheneys.
The day was capped off when the Cheneys left Cincinnati at about the same time I did.
They flew out of Lunken Airport on Air Force Two, while I rolled out of town on a Metro bus.
I watched their plane fly east and then north along I-275.
(It is not likely that they noticed my bus.)

September 3, 2004
The convention is over and a number of thoughts have come to mind.
For family and financial reasons, I cancelled my reservation and chose to watch from home.
I’m not sure why, but it was the only convention that I’ve ever watched.
And I watched all four nights on PBS from 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM or so.
(If I were away from the TV, I taped it and watched it later.)

I enjoyed all of the speeches, but some were more notable than others for different reasons.
The President was masterful at poking a few jabs at John Kerry and laying out his agenda for the next four years.

Zell Miller delivered a fire and brimstone speech that had me leaping out of my chair.
He seemed to combine some qualities of Billy Graham with that of an old fashioned southern preacher.
His focus was on how wrong his Democrat Party has been and how wrong John Kerry and Ted Kennedy have been.
My prediction is that historians will look back at this speech as a major contributing factor as to how the wheels came off of the Kerry campaign.

Michael Williams’ speech was particularly moving.
He shined a spotlight on the character of George W. Bush dating back to the earliest days of his career.

The speeches by Rudy Giuliani and Arnold Schwarzenegger were both funny and inspiring.

And of course, it was great to see our very own Rob Portman on the national stage.

September 2, 2004
The Party for the President at HQ in Batavia was lively and fun.
Many prizes were given out to deserving volunteers.
I visited with a number of people and particularly enjoyed talking with Judge Voris and his wife.

August 27, 2004
The parade at the Ohio Tobacco Festival in Ripley was a lot of fun.
My seven-year-old daughter insisted that we watch the parade rather than ride in it.
She explained to me that she would be able to collect more candy that way.
Everybody loves a parade.
It was good to see Rob Portman, Tom Niehaus, Danny Bubp, Paul Hall, Tina Meranda, and others.

August 25, 2004
Danny Bubp for State Representative held a successful fundraiser at Hilltop Rentals in Amelia.
It was well attended by over 200 people from Clermont, Brown, and Adams Counties.
The majority of the countywide elected officials, in all three counties, showed their enthusiastic support.
Rob Portman was the keynote speaker.
Rob and Danny held a Q&A session along with Tom Niehaus and Tom Brinkman.
I asked Congressman Portman about three topics :

• What can be done about out of control 527 Groups?
• What is John Kerry hiding in his war record that he won’t release?
• What are the chances that the income tax could be replaced by a sales tax?

It is great to see the 88^th District coming together to rally behind Danny.
Also, Danny needs sign locations. Call him at 877-326-2827 or 937-544-2581.

Following Danny’s event, I returned to Union Township to attend a Commissioners meeting at the new civic center.
The presentation included the following:

• Eastern Corridor Improvements
• Road and Bridge Improvements
• Water and Sewer Improvements
• Stormwater Regulations

Clermont County (The greatest place on earth) 513-732-1611

• HQ is open Monday through Thursday from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
• Friday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
• Saturday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
• Sundays during special events
• Phone Banks operate Monday through Thursday from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM and Saturdays 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
• 2,000 volunteers have participated since May 1, 2004
• Nearly 5,000 Bush/Cheney signs have been distributed and 2,000 more are expected
• 40 Bush/Cheney 4x8s will be erected in prime locations
• 10,000 new voter registrations at the Board of Elections
• 3,100 absentee requests
• Poll workers are needed by the Board of Elections for inside work
• They are also needed by the campaigns for outside work

Brown County

• Schools closed the week of September 27^th for the fair
• Watch SR 32 for billboards promoting local and Southern Ohio candidates
• 1,000 Bush/Cheney signs are on order
• A mailing to the ministers of all 84 churches is planned
• They will be sent 20 voter registration forms and 20 absentee ballot applications
• A Christian Coalition packet will be sent to the churches in three weeks

Lawrence County

• President Bush visited Ironton and greeted thousands of adoring fans
• Registered 2,200 new voters and 70% of them are Republican
• Absentee ballots will be the next priority

Event Calendar
September 17, 2004
Republican State Central Committee Meeting in Columbus at 9:00 AM

September 18, 2004
Door-to-door voter registration

September 23, 2004
Family First PAC will hold their annual dinner at the Montgomery Inn Banquet Center.
The keynote speaker will be the Honorable Roy Moore, former Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court.
The donation is $50 (937-885-0657).

September 23, 2004
Door-to-door voter registration in Brown County

September 25, 2004
Door-to-door voter registration

September 27, 2004
The Brown County Fair will continue through October 2, 2004.
The parade will begin at 5:30 PM in Georgetown.

Ken Blackwell or his representative will be at the West Union Community Center at 7:00 PM to talk about what political activities are allowed for ministers and churches.

September 28, 2004
The League of Women Voters will hold a candidates night at 7:00 PM -- Eastgate Holiday Inn.

September 30, 2004
Door-to-door voter registration in Brown County

October 4, 2004
Voter Registration Deadline is 4:00 PM.

Union Twp Central Committee meeting at 7:30 PM

October 5, 2004
Anthony Munoz will be the keynote speaker at a Bush/Cheney rally in Brown County.

October 7, 2004
Lawrence County will host a candidate’s night at Dawson-Bryant HS in Coalgrove at 6:30 PM.
Contact Ray Dutey at 740-532-1760.

October 12, 2004
Scioto County Executive Committee meeting at 6:30 PM
Scioto County Central Committee meeting at 7:00 PM

Brown County Executive Committee meeting at 6:30 PM
Brown County Central Committee meeting at 7:00 PM

October 16, 2004
The Union Twp Central Committee will work the phone banks at HQ from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

October 17, 2004
Rob Portman and John Ruthven will be hosting a fundraiser at Mr. Ruthven’s home in Brown County.
The donation is $250 for a private reception at 3:00 PM.
The donation is $100 per couple and $60 per individual at 4:00 PM.
A print will be provided.

October 21, 2004
Right to Life of Greater Cincinnati will hold their annual dinner.
The keynote speaker will be Jill Stanek.
The donation is $35. RSVP by October 14, 2004. For more info, call 728-7870.

October 22, 2004
Citizens for Community Values will host David Barton, founder and president of Wallbuilders, at Tri-County Assembly of God in Cincinnati.
Call 513-733-5775 for more information.

November 2, 2004
Election Day!!! Please allow two or three vacation days to work with the 72-hour task force.
The polls will be open from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM.
Each Central Committee member is responsible for ensuring that someone will hand out slate cards during those hours.
Trust me on this one: You do not want to wake up on November 3, 2004 and hear the words “President Elect John F. Kerry.”

November 9, 2004
Scioto County Executive Committee meeting at 6:30 PM
Scioto County Central Committee meeting at 7:00 PM

February 4, 2005
The Clermont County Lincoln Day Dinner will be at the Eastgate Holiday Inn.

Close
This issue and all back issues are available at: http://home.fuse.net/jbecker/TheBeckerReport.htm.
As always, please provide me with feedback including any corrections to this report.

Thank you.
_________________________________________________
John E. Becker
Republican State Central Committeeman
Ohio's 14th Senate District
Clermont, Brown, Adams, Scioto, and Lawrence Counties
513-345-7105 (day)
513-753-6440 (eve)
http://home.fuse.net/JBecker
mailto:JBecker@Fuse.net